Saturday, January 29, 2022

Weekly Mews: Cookie Time & Six Degrees of Separation (From No One is Talking About This to Becoming)

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz  where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

I am linking up to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently. 
Can you believe it is the last weekend of January? It seemed to both drag and fly by at varying points of the month. The wind went away the beginning of the week and came back full force toward the end of the week, although all is calm out there this morning. The temperatures are starting to get warmer. I am very ready for spring.

As I write this, I am shaking off the last of the sleepy dust and Mouse is getting ready for a full day of dance. Anjin is tucked in bed getting some last minute zzz's before his day starts.  Mouse had a virtual Girl Scout meeting this past week followed by a parent meeting to talk about the kick off of cookie season--which means soon my house will be full of boxes of cookies to sell. 


I realize it is not February yet, but I am jumping in a weekend early to take part in February's Six Degrees of Separation since next weekend I will be posting my January wrap up and February TBR poll where you help me decide what I will read next. 


February's starting point is No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood, a novel I know very little about (I think it focuses on the impact of social media on a woman's life and how that frames loss and grief suffered in her offline life), and so I am focusing on the title itself. 

It's actually a good jumping off point for a variety of topics, but the book that first came to my mind was Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock. I don't really want to go into too much about this book only to say it deals with the issues of child abuse. One of those dirty family secrets hardly anyone wants to talk about or, in some cases, acknowledge. 


I go from there to Laura Lippman's mystery novel, Hush Hush, which I chose solely because of the title and not the subject matter. Because, going back to Me & Emma, the victims are often told to keep quiet about what is happening and not talk about. 

Secrets long kept have a way of coming out--and often need to. Which brings to mind Shout by Laurie Anderson Halse, a memoir in verse I read the end of last year. A survivor of sexual assault, the author learned to speak up for herself and wanted to share her story so others will know they are not alone and give them hope. 


I am currently reading The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré about a young Nigerian woman, girl really, who faces what many would see as insurmountable obstacles, including child marriage and cruelty and abuse, and yet she continues to work toward making her dreams come true. 

Adunni in The Girl with a Louding Voice longs for an education and to become a teacher, which brings me to the next book in the chain, Tara Westover's Educated. Tara mostly had to educate herself, raised by survivalist parents who feared the government and were preparing for the end of the world. She would eventually go onto college and earn her doctorate. 


Going back to choosing a book more so because of its title, Michelle Obama's Becoming popped up in my mind. Although, some of the themes from this one do carry over from one book to the other. Learning, growing, becoming. Whether facing trauma, hardships, grief, or discrimination, the fictional and real life girls/women in these books come into their own, each through their own journeys, becoming who they are today.

And there you have it: from No One is Talking About This to BecomingWhere would your chain go?


**Six Degrees of Separation is a monthly link-up hosted by Kate of Books Are My Favourite and Best in the host chooses a book and participants take it from there: creating a chain of books, each connected to the one before. Seeing where we end up is half the fun!**


This Week In Reading Mews

New to the Shelves:

My husband surprised me with a couple of manga books from my wish list this week:


I Want to Eat Your Pancreas by Yoru Sumino, illustrated by Izumi Kirihara
Spy x Family, Vol. 1 by by Tatsuya Endo, translated by Casey Loe

Tell me what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? What new books did you add to your bookshelf? How was your week?


© 2022, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

66 comments:

  1. That's super sweet that your husband surprised you with books :) I hope you enjoy all of these when you get a chance to read them.

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    1. Cindy - I think my showing interest in manga played a part in his gifts. LOL He is pretty awesome all around though. :-) Thank you for stopping by.

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  2. I can't believe where this moth has gone. And Girl Scout Thin Mints- yum!!

    Thank you for the thoughtful and detailed comment on my Post. Getting deep over there ha!

    Yay for the manga!

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    1. Greg - Thin Mints are a house favorite of ours. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  3. I know right? Where did the time go? I hope you get in some great reading this new month along with everything else happening.

    Anne - Books of My Heart

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  4. I agree with you that the month flew by in some respects and seemed to drag in others. How fun to get some new books! Enjoy your week!

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    1. Gretchen - New books are always welcome. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. Does time go by faster when you are busy or when you are bored? I think this has been debated for centuries. You blink an eye and a day passes -- or is it a decade? How can it be 2022?

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  6. Yes, January has passed by so fast. I'm planning on listening to Becoming soon, as I've heard so much good about it, and I"ve been told the audiobooks is best as it's in her own words.

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    1. Wendy - I hope you love Becoming as much as I did. It was one of my top reads from last year. Thank you for stopping by!

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  7. Aaah yea! You just reminded me to make a note in my diary not to forget Six Degrees next week! Thank you! I can't wait to see what you think of The Girl with the Louding Voice, still waiting to read it though.

    Have a good week and happy reading!

    Elza Reads

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    1. Mareli - I finished The Girl with the Louding Voice last night--I loved it. Two five paw reads in one month . . . that's pretty rare for me! I hope you have a good week too. Thank you for visiting!

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    1. Sophie - She had a great day yesterday. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  9. The months we've felt we had to lock down a bit during the pandemic went slowly, but, in general, life flies by very quickly as I have gotten older.

    Girl Scout cookie time! I bet that's fun.

    I have No One is Talking About This here, but I haven't gotten to it yet.

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    1. Deb - Girl Scout cookie time definitely means adding a new level of busy to our schedule. I am a little afraid of No One Is Talking About This here given what I've read about it. I hope you enjoy it when you read it! Thank you for visiting!

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  10. I know what you mean about January - I'd not even thought about making my post today the monthly wrap up one! I love the variety of the books you showcased.

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    1. Louise - I don't like to end the month prematurely, so will save it for next weekend. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  11. I've already seen lots of opportunities to buy Girl Scout cookies and I have some friends whose kids have web stores too. Good luck with all those boxes, and I hope you have a great week😁

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    1. Tammy - Thank you! My daughter is not a big seller and so we never sell a lot of boxes, but we do what we can. Thank you for visiting!

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  12. This month flew by, but dragged in ways too! I forgot about the Six Degrees of Separation tag, that one is fun! I need to participate again one of these days. Thanks for reminding me about that. Hope you have a good week!
    Lisa Loves Literature

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    1. Lisa - I always enjoy doing the Six Degrees of Separation posts. I should really try to do them more often. Thank you for stopping by!

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  13. I enjoyed Educated and LOVED Becoming. Now I will be checking out Hush Hush, as I love Lippman's books.

    Here are my WEEKLY UPDATES

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    1. Laurel-Rain - Same here. Becoming was one of my favorite reads last year. I liked Educated as well. Thank you for visiting!

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  14. It's weird how January seemed to last forever, yet I can't believe it's just about over... one of those months, I guess. The Girl With the Louding Voice has been on my to read list for way too long. So many bloggers have raved about it and my mom really liked it, too. Hope you have a good week!

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    1. JoAnn - It does seem weird and yet that's how I feel about January too. I hope you do get a chance to read The Girl with the Louding Voice. I finished it last night and loved it. Thank you for stopping by!

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  15. Becoming was such an amazing book. I loved it.

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    1. Carrie - It was one of my favorite reads last year. Thank you for visiting!

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  16. i don't read a lot of nonfictin, but i love michelle's book. a lot of food for thought. we had a flock of robins take over our yard a few days ago. they only stay for the day, but this seems a bit earlier than usual
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. Sherry - Becoming was one of my favorites that I read last year. I saw your photos of the robins--so beautiful! Thank you for stopping by!

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  17. I LOVE Spy x Family, it's so fun! I hope you enjoy it too!

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    1. Eustacia - I am glad to hear you love Spy x Family. Both my husband and I are looking forward to reading the series. Thank you for visiting!

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  18. Good ones on your shelf this week. Eye catching and amusing title though is I Want To Eat Your Pancreas! Happy reading.

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    1. V - I thought that was a funny title too. Haha! Thank you for stopping by!

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  19. I was just today thinking that January has flown by. I'm excited to know that means spring is only a couple of months away now. It's not too early to start planning for that, is it? Always love your Six Degrees of Separation!

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    1. Lisa - Spring will be here before we know it! Thank you for visiting.

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  20. I remember those cookie days. I was always the cookie mom and I admit that I don't miss it. I miss the cookies though. I love reading the connections you made between the books in this post.

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    1. Carole - There's a new cookie this year which is actually really good. I've been kind of meh about other new cookies in years past. Maybe that's why they don't seem to last long. Thank you for stopping by!

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  21. I am so glad you are reading THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE. What a unique story. My Sunday Salon

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    1. Anne - I finished it last night and loved it. Thank you for visiting!

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  22. Yay for a bookish surprise! Hope Mouse enjoyed her full day of dance. The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my dad's favorite books but I've never read it. I haven't had Girl Scout cookies in several years. I miss them!
    Have a wonderful week!

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    1. Katherine - Mouse had a good day. Auditions were yesterday and she said they went well. She's looking forward to the summer shows. I could use a break from Girl Scout cookies. LOL Thank you for stopping by!

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  23. I have Becoming in hardback although I ended up listening to it on audio which was really good. Sounds like a busy household. So nice to be surprised by a couple of books.

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    1. Kathryn - I really enjoyed Becoming. Life here does tend to be busy. Thank you for visiting!

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  24. I have been hearing so many great thigns about The Girl with the Louding Voice. I hope you are enjoying it as well, looking forward to hearing your review soon.

    I hope you have a great week ahead.

    Gayathri @ Elgee Writes

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    1. Gayathri - The Girl With the Louding Voice is amazing. I hope you get a chance to read it. Thank you for stopping by!

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  25. Fascinated by the link you make for February's Six Degrees of Separation. Its been a long time since I participated in this Meme but seeing this I may well do so again ... though probably not in February.

    Liking your current reading list, I've been reading/hearing lots of good things about The Girl with the Louding Voice but it is Hooky that really appeals to me.

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    1. Felicity - I hope you will take part in the Six Degrees of Separation again in the future. I enjoy the mental exercise of finding connections between books to come up with the list. Thank you for visiting!

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  26. The whole Girl Guide cookie thing is a bit weird from an outsiders perspective, though I’d like to try some just to see what all the fuss is about.
    My hubby is more likely to throw books out than buy me more ;)

    Wishing you a great reading week

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    1. Shelleyrae - The Girl Scout cookie craze is an interesting phenomenon. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  27. I like your Six Degrees of Separation. I have been meaning to read (via Audible) Becoming but haven't put it on my stack yet. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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    1. Kathy - Thank you! I hope you do get a chance to read Becoming. It's worth it. Thank you for visiting!

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  28. I got an email from an author with a bunch of free ebooks so I downloaded about 30 of them. Some have been good and some not so good. I already have 100 books on my Kindle so now I have enough for the entire year. lol

    I hope all of your next reads are good ones.

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    1. Mary - Having too many books to read is never a bad thing. :-) Haha. I hope there are more winners than losers in the books you downloaded. Thank you for stopping by!

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  29. Love your Six Degrees of Separation chain. I'm not sure my brain could put together a chain like that, lol.

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    1. Suzanne - It's a fun little exercise. Sometimes something as simple as matching covers works in a pinch. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  30. You are very organised! I am just starting to think about my Six Degrees post. Not entirely sure what direction I am going to take!

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    1. Marg - I don't know about being organized. LOL Thank you for stopping by!

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  31. Surprises are always great and books as surprises, even better. I love Girl Guide cookies. You have so many flavours here in the US compared to our blah chocolate or vanilla in Canada. I love your chain for 6 degrees of separation. Well Done!

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    1. Carla - Yes! I love a bookish surprise. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  32. I decided to participate in The Sunday Post as well, but it's a little belated, lol.

    I read Speak many moons ago. I did realize at the time that Laurie Halse Anderson was a survivor of sexual assault. That book really spoke to me. I'm also a survivor. My abuser is my brother-in-law. Still IS and Speak helped me speak out about not wanting to have any contact with him. It caused a lot of drama and rifts in my family, and I did what was best for me.

    The ironic thing is that I grew up 30 minutes south of Tara Westover. (I'm about 15 years older than she is.) And my brother-in-law (same one) grew up in her community and I wouldn't be surprised if his family knows her family because of the type of people his family are. Reading Educated was really hard, but I'm really proud of Westover for overcoming what she did.

    My Sunday Post

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    1. Jenni Elyse - I am behind in returning comments because I didn't get a lot of computer time this past week. I loved Speak and could relate to aspects of it as well through personal experience. Tara Westover overcame quite a bit to get to where she was. Thank you for stopping by!

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  33. I wonder if the Patricia Lockwood novel is any good? I know it got a lot of acclaim but I don't know anyone who's actually read it. I want to read it .... as well as the Girl with the Louding Voice ... which I know many bloggers liked. Michelle Obama's book was excellent ... i both read it and listened to the audio of it. Happy Reading. & February.

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    1. Susan - If you do read Patricia Lockwood's novel, I would be curious to see what you think. I admit I find it a little intimidating from the reviews of it I have read. I read the print copy of Becoming and loved it. I bet the audio version is amazing. Thank you for visiting!

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